Delaware, OH --- Rock N Soul (Yannick Gingras), Seriously
(Jody Jamieson), Dancinwiththestarz (Brian Sears) and Berschet (Chip
Noble) became the first four fillies to advance to the second heat
of the $353,400 Jugette on Wednesday (Sept. 22) at the Delaware
County Fair.
 |
|
USTA/Mark
Hall photo |
|
Rock N Soul, timed in 1:52, was a wire-to-wire winner in the
opening Jugette elimination. |
Their mile,
timed in 1:52, was a wire-to-wire effort for Burke Racing Stable,
Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino and Howard Taylor’s Rock N
Soul, a Rocknroll Hanover filly who is trained by Ron Burke.
The 1-5
betting favorite, Dancinwiththestarz, came up with a big effort
after an incident on the first turn. A And Gs Princess, driven by
George Brennan, was battling with the eventual winner and
Dancinwiththestarz when she went on a break, looked like she may
have bothered Dancinwiththestarz -- though they never collided --
and sent the latter on a break. Driver Brian Sears quickly collected
the favorite and came back to get third money.
However,
Dancinwiththestarz will draw for posts five and six with the
third-placed horse in the second elimination, which may give an edge
to Western Silk, the early favorite in the second elimination, which
will go to the post next on the Jugette Day card -- if Western Silk
has the expected good trip in the second elimination.
“It was a
sense of relief (on “Dancing’s” break),” co-owner Howard Taylor
said. “She actually was kicked this week while she was here, and has
a big huge lump on her chest that you can really see. It sticks
right out. We didn’t know if we would be able to race her today, but
unbelievably it hasn’t seemed to bother her.
“She won by a
nose in her last start and only does what she has to do. Yannick
said she could have won by much more. I wasn’t worried at the top of
the stretch because I knew she would dig down. She always waits for
other horses to come to her.”
 |
|
USTA/Mark
Hall photo |
|
Western Silk stamped herself the favorite to win the
$353,400 Jugette by swinging three-wide and sprinting clear
in the final stages of the second elimination in 1:52.1. |
Western Silk, driven patiently by Mark MacDonald, stamped herself
the favorite to win the $353,400 Jugette by swinging three-wide and
sprinting clear in the final stages of the second elimination of the
race for 3-year-old fillies in 1:52.1.
She will be
joined in the second and possibly final heat by Dancin Barefoot
(Daniel Dube), Dance Until Dawn (Doug McNair) and Full Picture (Ron
Pierce), who finished second, third and fourth, respectively in the
second split.
Western Silk
got away in good order and sat fourth in the early stages, came to
the outside to follow Dance Until Dawn at the three-quarter pole and
was then taken three-wide on the final turn. She appeared to advance
slowly, but when the field entered the short Delaware County
Fairgrounds stretch she found another gear and removed all doubt
about the order of finish, winning by two lengths.
“She raced
absolutely awesome,” trainer and co-owner Casie Coleman said in the
winner’s circle. “She got real sick three weeks ago and we weren’t
even sure if we were going to be able to make this race. She got
healthy just in time and it was a sweet trip, second-over. I really
don’t know if it matters with her. She’s built for a half (-mile
track) because she’s small. She obviously gets around a big track
good, too. She went in (1):50 over at Mohawk.”
The daughter
of Western Terror, owned by trainer Casie Coleman and Tom Hill
of Great Britain, drew the rail in the second and possibly final
heat. Rock N Soul, the first elimination victor, will score from
post two.
-- Kim
French also contributed to this report
